Nate Bargatze Says His Comedy Is for the Whole Family, ‘I Don’t Wanna Betray that Trust’

Michael Foust

Audio By Carbonatix

By Michael Foust, Crosswalk.com

Comedian Nate Bargatze has a message for moms and dads about his shows: Skip the babysitter and bring the whole family. Bargatze has become one of the nation's top comedians in recent years in spite of -- or perhaps because of -- his clean brand of humor. He's hosted Saturday Night Live twice, released three Netflix specials, and sold more than 1 million tickets last year alone. He also wrote a book: Big Dumb Eyes: Stories from a Simpler Mind.

In a comedy world where raunch often reigns, Bargatze's routines have gone viral, delivering laugh-out-loud moments for parents and kids alike.

This Sunday, Bargatze will host the Primetime Emmy Awards on CBS.

His daughter, Harper, often introduces him at his comedy shows.

"I love that people when they come to my show, it's, uh, I don't wanna betray that trust," he told CBS News Sunday Morning. "You can have your kid watch my stand-up and you don't like, if you see them have it on, you don't have to be like, 'Whoa, what's going on?'"

Asked by CBS News whether comedy feels like a calling, Bargatze replied that it does.

"Yeah," he replied. "You feel – you know, I feel it's beyond me."

Bargatze hasn't forgotten his roots in small-town Tennessee. He donated $1 million to his alma mater, Donelson Christian Academy, which now boasts the Nate Bargatze Gymnasium -- his name emblazoned on the court -- where the school's teams compete.

The plain-spoken Bargatze has plenty on the horizon, including a movie, Breadwinner, releasing next spring. It stars Bargatze and Mandy Moore.

Bargatze's company, Nateland, embraces the motto "Good Clean Funny" as it produces specials, live events and podcasts highlighting fellow clean comics, CBS News reported.

Eventually, he hopes to open a theme park in Nashville.

"I'm not gonna be able to go to every city in America for the rest of my life," he said. "So, I want to build a place where you can come. And if you and your wife and your kids are 11 and they want to go run off on their own for a second, I want that to happen."

Bargatze says his touring days are numbered.

"I'm doing this tour, I plan on doing one more tour after that," he told CBS News. "I need to go do movies, and I need to build that world up and learn how to do all of that stuff. So, I'm gonna dive into that aspect of it. I can see myself being and making movies for, like, another 15 years, and then -- if I'm allowed to! I mean, it might all fall apart."

.@natebargatze, the highest-grossing stand-up in the country, recently debuted his fifth Netflix special – and on Sept. 14, he’ll be hosting the 77th Emmy Awards on @CBS and @paramountplus, while also branching out into movies.

Is a Nate Bargatze theme park and film studio in… pic.twitter.com/COH1WtMB00
— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) September 7, 2025

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.